UEFA Champions League Group G: Chelsea v LazioWhen Juan Sebastian Veron insisted yesterday that Claudio Ranieri regarded him as the world's best midfielder on the basis of videos with Sampdoria and Lazio, it was a frank admission that his stint at Manchester United is best forgotten.

Tonight would be an ideal occasion for the Argentinian to show those without extensive VHS collections he can still produce the magic that lit up Serie A.

Lazio are at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea could do with a victory after failing in their two big recent tests, against Besiktas and Arsenal. Another defeat would leave them facing an uphill struggle to progress in Europe. Veron has so far done little to justify Ranieri's high praise and knows this evening would be a good point to start. "It is time for me to pay back the trust the coach has shown in me," he said.

Veron produced the best club form of his career in two seasons at Lazio, helping them to the title under Sven-Goran Eriksson and prompting United to pay £28.1 million for him. Though assumptions about Ranieri's line-ups are always dangerous, it would be a surprise if Veron does not get the chance to remind the Italian team of his talent.

The esteem in which Veron is held by Lazio contrasts with scepticism in England, not about his ability but his capacity to draw it out consistently enough. The 28-year-old, by his own admission, did not find his best sufficiently at United and has promised there is much more to come.

Certainly Veron never proved the catalyst for Champions League success Alex Ferguson hoped for and Chelsea would be delighted if a different story emerges before he leaves Stamford Bridge.

His settling-in period at Chelsea has probably not been helped by the fact he has been in and out of the team and has not always been used in the central playmaker position he made clear on arrival was his favourite.

He did not smile much yesterday but sounded excited to be facing Lazio. "It's going to be an extra stimulus and a very special match for me," he said, "but I think when you go on the pitch you leave your feelings behind."

Lazio will fear Veron's capacity to link up with Hernan Crespo, another of their former players. Ranieri hopes Veron, Crespo, Carlo Cudicini and Adrian Mutu will make good use of their Serie A experience. "They know very well the Italian mentality," he said.

Ranieri expects Lazio to look to strike on the break and he and his players need to show they have learned from the home defeat by Besiktas. The coach did not help by playing a three-man defence and individual errors were punished. Injuries mean Marcel Desailly and Emmanuel Petit are out tonight.

While a win is not essential, anything less will probably leave Chelsea needing victory at Lazio or Besiktas. Three points would certainly do no harm for Ranieri, who has grown used to speculation about his future.

He hinted he is not taking employment to the end of the season for granted as he knocked down a report that Roman Abramovich has guaranteed his job until May.

"I think the newspaper wrote something," Ranieri said. "Mr Abramovich didn't say anything. If you write the truth, you write Ranieri is the Chelsea manager, and stop."

Cudicini; Johnson, Terry, Gallas, Babayaro; Veron, Lampard, Makelele, Duff; Crespo, Hasselbaink.

LAZIO (4-4-2, possible): Peruzzi; Oddo, Stam, Mihajlovic, Favalli; Fiore, Albertini, Giannichedda, Stankovic; Corradi, Inzaghi.

Referee: T Hauge (Norway).

Kick-off: 7.45

On TV: Sky Sports Xtra